The Labor enquirer., 1887-02-19
What Walter I. sawysF Z D
. Say About
Why Not Have : General Fe1t ~
fion Il All tho Seeial &
ist Bodiesi ,4S' Ns
= sssesstipn Which II b tt-bs RupSd
win Induce Prs1Sr
Actien. .'''
For The Enquirer.

the three organisations Of Nofth Amer
lean Socialists. which had eained con.
siderable headvay whom e xss over.
shadowed bv the Haymaikss al|1r ana
the occurrences which followed II, 4
pressing again for consideration and
ought to <hsvS orr unprsjudiosa's sttea-
tion and. 4 bellsvs. our hsszts saps.ort.
Events have shown tliat the capi taa-
lists and their tools are determined to
hold Us all responsible for the acte Of
any one: that II ]. for example, do u
weak or foolish thing which On In any
way be made Z subject for newspaper
discussion, not myself or the orasnisa-
ton to which l belong will suffer fol it
alone, but ell three oradnisations will
have to bear the reflected odium. sxhi
there goes another one Of your Social
istsl" will be the ery Of the vampire
press, and that cry will be taken up in
every community where are social SCI.
entists on the one aide and fools on the
other.
Eight people out Of every ten to-day.
do not know which Of our organisations
it was that was brought into prominence
by the Chicago riot" Enquire Of tbs
average man and you will be told,
"They were Anarchists" sBut what
are Anarchists7" "They are Hocialisls,"
In the New York campaign. the sup
porters Of Henry George we're iniis-
criminately labelled, Socialists, Com
munists, and Anarchists s"-few Of the
men who fune the epithets having any
idea that the terms were mot synony-
nous. Examples Of this might be null
tiplied indefinitely.
Since, then, We must all submit to be.
cursed in the same breath, since we
must suffer together. why not also tri-
umph and rejoice togetherf Our orro-
nents would unite usto our injury: Why
should, we not unite ourselves for
theirsf We cause them much ap,ge.
hension, divided as We are: would they
be likely to underestimate our strength
if we presented against them an unbrok-
en- front?
Let US, then, FEDERATEl Let us con-
slider how best we may secure unanimi-
ty in agitation. education and action.
Let the three organizations maintain
their existence as rallying centres, IL is
be desired; but let US no longer male
fetiches Of these party.names of ours,
which are oftener the cause Of wrant-
ing than The incentive to work.
Take lesson from the church wheS
a revival" isin progress, tie pastors Of
all the evangelical bodies sink their de.
ncminational differences and 60 in fof
"souls." After the souls" have teen
converted" each "soul" JOINS the
church he or she (or it? may happen b,
prefer. and then all the churches clio
ranks and 90 forward again, 80 much II o
stronger. Are we more bigotsd thsn
these Christians 2 Cannot We too agree
to disagree on minor points and agree 70
agree on all others. for the good Of tho
Cause? \
But, how to come together? "Ay
there's the rub !"
Well, let us suppose that the mem
bers of the l. W. A. adopt resolutions
in favor Of federation and request .Ae
General Executive to meet and elect On
delegates. with power; in the meau
time, let the same movement be MI Dis
in the s. L. P. and l. w. P. A.; then let
the l. w. A. invite the other organ IA
tiohs to send their delegates to meet our
delegates at some central point and form
toe American Socialist Union.
Suppose that Union to be to OUT :
Qanization what the Central Labor
ion is to the trades-unions Of 1 W
York: that it be composed.of Of three 4.
egates from each state and terrific, .
one for each of the organisations-n ii
proportionate representation for tbs ~.
cialists Of Canada, Mexico and the Cor.
tral America states; let it meet once .
year at least, and give it both advisor =
and executive power. simply providing
If you will, that 1t shall not interiors
With the peculiar polity Of existing or.
ganizations.
So much by way Of suggestion. II
will serve, hope, to elicit other AMI
better plans. am persuaded thai most
Socialists recognize the vital impor tance
l a.. Al 40 -